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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 15 december 2020

U.S. Embassy says Sudan no longer on list of terror sponsors

By SAMY MAGDY Delisting Sudan is also a key
Associated Press incentive for the govern-
CAIRO (AP) — The U.S. ment in Khartoum to nor-
Embassy in Khartoum said malize relations with Israel.
Monday that President The two countries have
Donald Trump’s administra- agreed to have full diplo-
tion has removed Sudan matic ties, making Sudan
from the U.S. list of state the third Arab state — after
sponsors of terrorism, a the United Arab Emirates
move that could help the and Bahrain — to move to
African country get inter- normalize relations with Is-
national loans to revive its rael this year. After Sudan,
battered economy and Morocco also established
end its pariah status. diplomatic ties with Israel.
According to a Facebook Sudanese Gen. Abdel-Fat-
post by the embassy, Su- tah Burhan, head of the
dan’s removal was effec- ruling sovereign council,
tive as of Monday. A no- hailed the move as “his-
tification to that effect, toric decision” by Trump’s
signed by U.S. Secretary of administration. He tweeted
State Mike Pompeo, would Monday that delisting Su-
be published in the Feder- dan would “contribute to
al Register, it said, adding supporting the democratic
that the 45-day congres- In this Aug. 25, 2020 file photo, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stands with Sudanese Gen. transition.”
sional notification period Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of the ruling sovereign council, in Khartoum, Sudan. In October, Trump an-
Associated Press
has lapsed. “This achieve- nounced that he would
ment comes with numerous “represents a fundamental fered from decades of U.S. terror list as a “significant remove Sudan from the list
opportunities for Sudan’s change in our bilateral re- sanctions and mismanage- milestone” for the country’s if it follows through on its
development,” tweeted lationship toward greater ment under al-Bashir, who transition. Nabila Massrali, pledge to pay $335 million
Sudanese Prime Minister collaboration,” he said. had ruled the country since a spokesperson for the EU’s to American terror victims
Abdalla Hamdok, adding Sudan is on a fragile tran- a 1989 Islamist-backed mili- External Action Service, and their families. Sudan
that his country “officially” sition to democracy fol- tary coup. Sudan today said the step moves Su- has agreed to pay com-
rejoined the international lowing an uprising that led has more than $60 billion dan closer to “an eventual pensation for victims of the
community as a “peace- to the military’s ouster of in foreign debt, and debt debt relief” and urged the 1998 bombings of the U.S.
ful nation supporting global al-Bashir in April 2019. The relief and access to foreign transitional government to Embassies in Kenya and
stability” after nearly three- county is now ruled by a loans are widely seen as its continue the implementa- Tanzania, attacks carried
decade of isolation. joint military and civilian gateway to economic re- tion of necessary econom- out by al-Qaida while bin
Pompeo said in a state- government that seeks covery. Treasury Secretary ic reforms. The designation Laden was living in Sudan.
ment that the removal better ties with Washington Steven Mnuchin said his dates back to the 1990s, According to the October
came after Sudan’s tran- and the West. agency would work with when Sudan briefly hosted announcement, once the
sitional government met The removal of the terror Congress and the transi- al-Qaida leader Osama bin compensation money was
“the statutory and policy designation opens the door tional government in Khar- Laden and other wanted deposited, Trump was to
criteria” and charted a for the transitional govern- toum to advance Sudan’s militants. Sudan was also sign an order removing Su-
“bold new course away ment to get international efforts to secure debt re- believed to have served as dan from the terrorism list
from the legacy” of former loans and aid and rescue lief in 2021. The European a pipeline for Iran to sup- on which it has languished
autocratic President Omar its transition to democracy. Union also welcomed the ply weapons to Palestinian under heavy American
al-Bashir. Delisting Sudan Sudan’s economy has suf- removal of Sudan from the militants in the Gaza Strip. sanctions for 27 years.q

France’s Macron wants to add

climate goals in constitution

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel “Should we do more? Yes,” Macron said
Macron announced a referendum to add in discussions that lasted about four hours
the fight against climate change and the with a panel of dozens of French citizens.
need to preserve the environment into the European Union leaders, including Ma-
French Constitution. cron, agreed on Friday to beef up the
Speaking on Monday to a citizen’s group continent’s 2030 targets to reduce green-
in charge of making proposals on climate- house gases from 40% to at least 55% com-
related issues, Macron proposed a change pared with 1990 levels.
in the constitution that requires a parlia- “We need to keep moving forward, and
mentary vote, and then a referendum. that work is even more urgent,” Macron
He acknowledged that France doesn’t do said.
enough to be in line with its climate-relat- U.S. President-elect Joe Biden pledged
ed commitments aimed at curbing global Saturday to rejoin the Paris climate ac-
warming. cord on the first day of his presidency, as
France is missing its national targets that world leaders staged a virtual gathering
France’s President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during had been set under the 2015 Paris Agree- to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the in-
a Citizens’ Convention on Climate, in Paris, Monday, Dec. 14. ment and the country has delayed most of ternational pact aimed at curbing global
Associated Press its efforts until after this year. warming.q